Irish coffee: it’s not hard to make, it’s almost as easy as brewing a pot of coffee. Today, you are working with, yes: the predictable yet trusty single cup brewer (like a Keurig). Here’s where your inner mixologist emerges:
Irish Coffee
- • 1/3 cup coffee (unflavored, darker roast), prepared
- • 1 tsp. brown sugar
- • 1 shot (1.5 fl. oz.) Irish Whiskey
- • 1 large dollop of frothed half and half, fresh whipped cream, or refrigerated Cool Whip
Measure the brown sugar into a glass coffee mug. Pour prepared coffee into mug and stir to dissolve sugar. While stirring, pour in the whiskey shot. After the beverage has stilled, using an extra large spoon, carefully place thick cream over the coffee. Drink the beverage through the cream for a delicious, caffeinated and slightly boozy morning.
Coffee Guinness Float
- • 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
- • 1/2 cup brewed, chilled coffee
- • 1 1/2 cup Guinness draught
You know you’ll love this one simply from reading the name, but I guarantee this is even more delicious than you’d think. It does involve a little planning ahead: first, brew unflavored, bold coffee and chill (covered) in the fridge for at least two hours. Using either a traditional Guinness pint glass or a regular pint glass (holds 2 cups or 16 oz.), take a scoop of high quality vanilla ice cream (we like Breyers® Natural Vanilla) and scoop it out into the bottom of the pint glass. Next, pour in a half cup of cold coffee over the ice cream. Finally, top off with Guinness draught. Ideally, you would use an actual nitrogen keg from a bar — but unless you own or manage a restaurant, this isn’t going to happen; no worries, though: just use a can or bottle of Guinness draught (READ: DO NOT confuse with Guinness Extra Stout). To properly pour (and this is very important when you tend with Guinness), open bottle or can and quickly turn completely upside-down over the pint glass. A “widget rocket”, an ingenious device by Guinness, will enhance the nitrogen solution to impart a smooth taste and also will allow the beer to develop a creamy head. When it’s full, stop pouring even if there is beer left in the container (we don’t imagine this will be a problem).
Irish Car Bomb
- • Guiness Draught
- • Baileys (Irish Cream)
- • Irish Whiskey
If you haven’t heard of this, you didn’t go to college. Or maybe you did, but studied too much. Either way, here’s how to pull off this classic late night beverage. Reading over ingredient list, you may notice that the exact measurements aren’t important. What’s important is chugging this beverage as quickly as you can, or it will curdle (gross). Impressively (and this may surprise you), Guinness is one of the easiest beers to chug because there is no carbonation (only nitrogen) and although dark in color and rich in taste, it is low in calories. Do not be afraid: Pour a half pint of Guinness. Next, fill a shot glass halfway first with the Irish Cream and float (i.e. pour very slowly) whiskey on top of the cream. Now, in one fell swoop, drop the shot glass in the pint glass and drink as fast as you can!
Our cocktail runner-up is, unsurprisingly, the White Russian (featuring Kahlua: coffee-flavored rum). Also imperative to mention is just a few of the world’s rich variety of coffee-flavored liqueurs: Patron “XO Cafe” or Patron “XO Cafe” Dark Cocoa Coffee Liqueur (both coffee flavored high end tequila); Van Gogh Espresso Vodka, and Baileys. We didn’t even list any delicious coffee-flavored porters, stouts, and other microbrews. Any other boozy coffee beverages that you love that didn’t make our list? Leave your tips and tricks in our comments!
